Question : Arsenic Contamination in Ground Water

(a) whether the Government is aware of the arsenic contamination of the ground water in the Ganga, Brahmaputra alluvial plains and if so, the details thereof;
(b) the steps being taken by the Government to counter arsenic contamination hazard;
(c) whether the treatment plants have been set up in these regions to purify ground water; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?



Answer given by the minister

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI & SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT

(SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA)

(a) Yes Sir. The details in this regard are given at Annexure-I.

(b) to (d) Water being a State subject, initiatives on water management, including water quality is primarily States’ responsibility; however, Government of India supplements the efforts of States by providing financial and technical assistance to States/UTs. It is the States that plan, design, approve, implement, operate and maintain water supply schemes.

To enable every rural household in the country to have potable water at service level of 55 litre per capita per day (lpcd) through Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) by 2024, Government of India, in collaboration with the States, has launched Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) with an estimated cost of Rs.3.60 lakh Crores. The funds provided to the States/ UTs under JJM can be utilized for taking up schemes in water quality-affected areas on priority. In Arsenic affected habitations where planning and implementation of piped water supply schemes based on a safe water source will take time, as a interim measure, States are allowed to take up Community Water Purification Plants (CWPPs) schemes to provide 8-10 lpcd potable water to meet drinking and cooking needs of every households residing in such villages/ habitations.

In addition, in March 2017, National Water Quality Sub-Mission (NWQSM) was launched as a part of National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), which has now been subsumed under JJM, to provide safe drinking water to Arsenic affected rural habitations in the country.
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In March 2016, with the recommendation of NITI Aayog, an amount of Rs.1,000 Crore was released to various Arsenic & Fluoride affected States for installation of CWPP and commissioning of piped water supply schemes.


As reported by States to Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, the details of CWPP installed in Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal of the of Ganga and Brahmaputra alluvial plains is given at Annexure I.

The Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) under Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs was launched by the Central government on June 25, 2015, in selected 500 cities and towns across the country with focus on development of basic urban infrastructure in the Mission cities, such as water supply, sewerage & septage management, storm water drainage, green spaces & parks, non-motorized urban transport etc.

One of the key objectives of the AMRUT is to ensure that every household has access to a tap connection with assured supply of water. Under AMRUT Mission, out of the total plan size of Rs. 77,640 crore, Rs.39,010 crore (50%) has been allocated to water supply including mitigation of water quality problems.

Further, Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has successfully constructed Arsenic-free wells in the Gangetic flood plains of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal and shared the technological knowledge with them.

Under the National Aquifer Mapping Programme (NAQUIM), special attention is being given to the aspect of ground water quality including contamination by Arsenic. Data on ground water quality available with CGWB are being shared with concerned States for taking necessary remedial measures.


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ANNEXURE I


Annexure referred to in reply to parts (a) to (d) of Unstarred Question No. 829 to be answered in Lok Sabha on 17.09.2020 regarding “ARSENIC CONTAMINATION IN GROUNDWATER”.


Details of Arsenic-affected habitation and CWPP installed in State of Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal of the of Ganga and Brahmaputra alluvial plains

S.No Name of the State Arsenic-affected habitations (as on 14.09.2020) Total Nos of CWPP installed
1. Assam 1,853 12
2. Bihar 405 290
3. Uttar Pradesh 164 95
4. West Bengal 1,383 1,234


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